10 Hormonal Changes With AgingHormones that build tissues and improve immunity decline with age by 50-80% (DHEA, Testosterone, GH)Progesterone starts to decline at age 30.Estradiol disappears at 50—menopauseThyroid hormone production and sensitivity declineInsulin output declinesDiabetesBy age 50—20 years of hormonal deficiency

11 Conventional View of Hormones and AgingThe loss of hormones is adaptive–helps us to live longerPersistence of youthful levels of hormones would cause more heart attacks and cancers as we ageLosing our hormones is good for us(?!)Fits the Pharmaceutical Agenda: Take drugs for every symptom and disorder caused by hormone loss!

12 Against the Conventional ViewAging is a self-destruct program that kicks in at age 25 in humansAging is natural degeneration!Weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancers, heart attacks, autoimmune diseases, etc. occur years after hormone deficiencies begin and occur more often in people with lower hormone levels!Studies of balanced hormone restoration show the expected benefits and no proof of harm!!

15 Since the Loss of Hormones is Harmful,THEN…Restoring youthful hormone levels is:essential preventative medicineessential to the treatment of diseaseessential to Quality of Life!We have the need and the right to restore hormones lost to aging!

18 Where Do They Come From?All steroid hormones (including substitutes) are chemically synthesized from diosgenin (wild Mexican yams, soy, and other plants).

19 Not Just “Sex Hormones”Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA essential to cellular growth and function in all tissues in both sexes!Maintain brain function—modulators of mood, cognition, pain, etc.Maintain the immune system—progesterone and testosterone are immunosuppressantsMaintain connective tissue: skin, hair, bone, muscle, and blood vessels

20 Female EndocrinologyNature makes special demands on the female body for reproductionBreast, uterine and ovarian tissues undergo a monthly cycle of proliferation, differentiation, and breakdownDefects in this cycle can lead to cancers in female organs and to many medical disorders.

23 Historical PerspectiveThroughout most of human history, women were usually:Pregnant—high progesteroneBreastfeeding—low estrogen(both protect against breast cancer)Women cycled for 4 years avg.; today many cycle for 35 yearsCycling=risk of estrogen dominance and other hormonal disorders

24 PerimenopauseFemales born with a fixed no. of oocytes which are continually lost to age and ovulationWith aging, fewer oocytes of lower quality are leftreduced progesterone production beginning around age 30estrogen dominanceNo ovulation=no progesteroneEstrogen swings from very high to very low—often for several years.

41 Testosterone and the ProstateHigher testosterone levels do not increase the risk of prostate cancer.Studies of testosterone supplementation have shown no increase in prostate cancer—even though so many men have it!Low testosterone correlated with more aggressive prostate cancersTestosterone promotes prostate growth to a point, but not prostate cancer

47 “My doctor says that hormonereplacement is dangerous and there’s no evidence that bioidentical hormones are safer!”

48 Two Approaches to MedicineNatural-Scientific—Identify the deficiency/excess at the molecular level and correct it with bioidentical moleculesPharmaceutical—Create non-natural, patentable substances that will produce some improvementNatural Science should be primary; Pharmaceutical Science secondary.

51 History of “Hormone Replacement Therapy”Horse-derived Premarin approved in 1942Progesterone synthesized in Poorly absorbed orallyChemically altered to make “progestins”—among the first drugs to be patented.“HRT” came to mean the use of alien molecules that had hormone-like effectsDrug co.s became dependent on HRT profitsDrug co.s push doctors to use hormone substitutes and to ignore or fear natural hormones!!

54 EE in Birth Control PillsEstradiolEthinyl estradiolAcetyleneEE cannot be inactivated by normal oxidation!EE does not interact with estrogen receptor !EE is 12,000-60,000 times more potent by weight!EE is much more thrombogenic than estradiol

58 Sex BiasIf a Man’s testes are removed or non-functional, bioidentical testosterone replacement is started immediatelyIf a woman’s ovaries are removed or non-functional, she is offered horse hormones or hormone-like drugs; or is told to “Live with it ”.It IS a Man’s World!

61 Dangers of Oral Estrogen ReplacementFirst-pass effect on the liverIGF-1, SHBG, CRP, clotting factors  blood clots, strokes, heart attacks in the first yearSmokers have greater risk of clotsEE increases clotting much more than estradiol, Premarin®Transdermal estradiol has none of these effects!

62 Dangers of Estrogen-only HRTEstrogen alone, estrogen-progestin HST and BCPs all reduce DHEAS and testosterone levels 25-60%Estrogen without progesterone and testosteroneestrogen dominance and  risk of breast cancer and other medical disorders

64 Atherosclerosis and Clotting“In both peripheral and cerebral vasculature (of live animals), synthetic progestins caused endothelial disruption, accumulation of monocytes in the vessel wall, platelet activation and clot formation, which are early events in atherosclerosis, inflammation and thrombosis. Natural progesterone or estrogens did not show such toxicity.”Climacteric Dec;6(4):

69 Progesterone and Breast Cancer—Conclusion“The balance of the in vivo evidence is that progesterone does not have a cancer-promoting effect on breast tissue.”J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol Jul;96(2):95-108In fact, the balance of the evidence indicates that progesterone protects against breast cancer!So…women can be given estradiol as long as it’s balanced by progesterone and testosterone!

71 Pharm. Corps’ ChoicesStop compounding pharmacies so they can control of the BHR marketWyeth’s appeal to the FDA, media propaganda blitzSuppress BHR in favor of their substitutesKeep looking for substitutes that will provide benefits without risksResult: Your doctors will never learn the truth about hormones unless he/she goes looking for it

72 Common Sense Substitutes are alien molecules!Problems caused by hormone substitutes cannot be attributed to human hormones until proven otherwise.Bioidentical hormone restoration should be considered safe until proven otherwise!

77 Thyroid Hormone—T3 Maintains metabolism, mood, and energyControlled partly by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) from the pituitary glandTSH test is indirect: does not measure T3 levels or effects in various tissuesDocs prescribe T4 only (Synthroid and Levoxyl)—prohormone that must be converted to T3Docs rarely measure free T3 levels!